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The healing power of sport has helped former soldier Vicki Ross through some dark times, and she’s still fighting.
Attacking and defending have always been vital to Vicki - whether as a Manchester City footballer, playing wheelchair rugby or the 22 years she served in the Army.
After rising through the ranks, Vicki, 46, was one of the fittest women to serve and protect their country - but her world turned upside down when mental and physical health problems resulted in the end of her military career.
Despite suffering from chronic knee pain, her competitive spirit now thrives in adaptive sports, she has an incredible new career and is studying for an MBA.
"Before I joined the Army, I played for Manchester City Ladies. I played at the highest level of football, I played at the highest level of a few sports,” said Vicki, mum to teenagers Ellie, 16, and Jai, 13. “But now I've got severe osteoarthritis – my doctor says I've got the knees of a 90-year-old woman who's run a marathon every day of her life.”
After 22 years of exemplary Army service, in September 2022 Vicki was told her career was over. “When I found out about the medical discharge, I was told I wasn’t allowed back into work. I did not even get a leaving present. I got nothing. I was isolated with no support. I was left feeling like I was just a number.”
Too many veterans and their families, like Vicki, are facing their toughest battles yet.
Specialist one-to-one counselling from Help for Heroes has helped the former Warrant Officer with the Royal Signals cope with the debilitating mental and physical pain that she suffers as a result of her service.
“My Help for Heroes counsellor, Alisha, talks about mindfulness and breathing – if you can turn those dials down on your mental health it helps relax the rest of your body, kind of like a pain-relieving effect. It’s a holistic approach to managing everything now,” she explained.
“Help for Heroes has had a huge impact on my life. It's changed me as a person, which has knock-on effects on who I am as a wife, as a mum, and in my new job,” said Vicki, now the head of global cyber operations for a leading public services provider.
"I can either sit down and be in pain, or I can try to be involved with life and carry on,” said Vicki. She plays wheelchair rugby for both Help for Heroes and the Leicester Tigers, who didn’t lose a game last season, topped the Premiership and then won the first-ever European competition undefeated.
“As I struggle to walk, I play adaptive sport, which I was introduced to by the charity. Even when I play wheelchair rugby, it does hurt, but when I am in that chair, my mind is just focused on what I’m doing. I’m in the moment, which kind of keeps the pain away until I finish - and then it aches, it’s painful and it’s swollen. But at least I’ve had that; I've been playing a sport that I love.”
She added: “That's why I come to Help for Heroes’ activities. It's an easy environment to challenge yourself and improve your mental health because most people here have been through something similar to you, so they get it. Help for Heroes saves lives without even knowing it.”
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